The summer is almost over and I’ve got to admit, I dread the start of school. While other parents are happily counting down the days until their little angels are out of the house for hours on end, I am cringing and working on lesson plans. Every year it is the same feeling. How in the world can I possibly do this? I mean, it’s not like I’m lying around all day eating bon-bons and watching Netflix! My days are full. Between laundry and cooking and changing diapers and cleaning and chauffeuring people around, I hardly have a minute to call my own. Throw in doctor’s visits and four therapy sessions a week plus some writing on the side and I’m tapped out. Don’t even mention church and small groups and AWANA and dog training and jujitsu practice! And none of that will stop with the start of school. School just gets added on top, and has to get done first. No wonder I’m freaking out over here! Usually we only take 2 months off during the summer. In the past, that’s been about as much as I can take before we all go crazy with no schedule. This year, my older two girls are taking some classes from a sort of umbrella school/co-op kind of thing. They take classes on Monday and do homework for the rest of the week. I love it because they can cover the tougher subjects like Algebra and science labs with someone who actually knows what they are talking about. I’ve discovered that my math skills end about half way through 8th grade. As soon as slope integers start I stop. But, taking outside classes means following an outside schedule and I’ve had to adjust to match our school dates a bit better. So this year we’ve had three months off. Three months of no school. Three months of not getting up at 6:30 in the morning and yelling at everyone to get out of bed so that we can start school at 8:30. (Ok, so yes, I’m not being honest. We’ve started school at 8:30 maybe once in the last three years. But it is the goal. Hence the yelling.) Three months of feeling frazzled and stressed and overworked and now thinking that there is no way in the world that there are enough hours in the day to add school to this mess! <Deep Breaths> The good news is that I feel this way Every. Single. Year. And every single year we survive and not only that, I find that I get more done when we’re in school than during the summer. Go figure. I don’t know how. I think it’s the same principle that says that the more classes you take in college the more free time you have. It’s a paradox, but it works and I for one am not going to question it. I just have to believe that it will work again this year. My books are all here (expect for the two that were backordered), my school room is cleaned. We have new pencils and notebooks. I’ve double checked that we can sign into our video classes. I’ve made lesson plans for the first week. I think we’re ready. I hope we’re ready. And this past week my kids have been at each other’s throats so I’m beginning to feel good about the start of school. Less free time for them to fight in. I think this is going to be good. I think we can do this. And what’s more, I think you can do it too! We can all make it! So, here’s to the start of school! Let’s see what new adventures and learning are in store for us! It’s going to be great!
0 Comments
|
Whether you are that seasoned homeschool family with the 15-passenger van or a fresh newbie with a million questions, we want to help you succeed. Here you will find encouragement, funny stories and pure honesty about homeschool life. Welcome to our messy, chaotic, wonderful days! Archives
October 2024
Categories |